After revolutionizing fashion with the little black dress and the quilted bag, Coco Chanel dove again into men’s fashion to find the inspiration to create another classic piece, the two-tone shoe. In 1957, Coco Chanel worked closely with Monsieur Massaro, the house shoemaker at the time, to create the iconic shoe of the maison Chanel.
“Shoes are the last touch of elegance.” Mademoiselle Chanel used to say. She had a very specific idea of what she wanted : a shoe that flatters the female figure and is convenient at the same time. That is why she picked beige and black : “The black, slightly square toe shortened the foot, the beige melted into the whole and lengthened the leg…” explains Monsieur Massaro. Rejecting the stilettos that were in vogue at the time, Chanel advocated a small 6 cm heel and preferred a little elastic on the low-cut inner side.
As soon as they were launched, the two-tone shoes were a success : Catherine Deneuve, Gina Lollobrigida, Romy Schneider and many others were among the first to have a pair! On the crest of her popularity, Coco Chanel decided to launch the shoe in 4 different versions. “With four pairs of shoes, I can travel the world.” she declared.
This same spirit of renewal continues with Karl Lagerfeld who also relaunches new versions of the shoe each season, each time impeccably designed. By succumbing to the charms of these shoes, we subscribe to their timeless style; as Coco herself said so poignantly, “A woman with good shoes is never ugly”.
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